The 2017 CMT Artists of the Year program offered up a very special moment when Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, and Little Big Town covered "I Won't Back Down."
As fans well know, country music superstar Jason Aldean was performing onstage when the horrendous mass shooting began during the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 1st. Although Aldean and his crew were able to escape unharmed, the tragedy has hit the entertainer hard.
During the 2017 CMT Artists of the Year event, Little Big Town, Keith Urban, and Chris Stapleton joined Aldean for a cover of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ “I Won’t Back Down.” The tune made famous by the late rocker has become a song of strength and resilience for Aldean as he honors those impacted by the Route 91 attack. The unique collaboration, as well as the whole event, showed how connected these stars are to their loyal fans. It also strongly emphasized the importance of communities coming together to face adversity. What an amazing way to honor Tom Petty and show the country music scene’s support for the Las Vegas victims and the Las Vegas community.
Enjoy the performance below!
Well, I won’t back down
No, I won’t back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won’t back down
No, I’ll stand my ground
Won’t be turned around
And I’ll keep this world from draggin’ me down
Gonna stand my ground
And I won’t back down
I won’t back down
Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
I won’t back down
Hey I will stand my ground
And I won’t back down
Well I know what’s right
I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around
But I stand my ground
And I won’t back down
I won’t back down
Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
I won’t back down
Hey, I will stand my ground
And I won’t back down
I won’t back down
Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
I won’t back down
Hey, I will stand my ground
And I won’t back down
No, I won’t back down
Be sure to share this moving moment with other country music fans!